Folding tongue for vehicles



(No Model.)

A. S. GILKEY. FOLDING TONGUE FOR VEHICLES.

Patented Nov. 17, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT S. GILKEY, OF BURLINGTON, KANSAS.

FOLDING TONGUE'FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,274, dated November 17, 1891.. Application filed August 25, 1891. Serial No. 403,676. (No modeld T0 aZZ whom it 71mg concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT S. GlLKEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of Ooffey and State of Kansas, have in vented a new and useful Folding Tongue, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in tongues.

The object of the present invention is to shorten the couplings of the trains of tractionengines to enable more complete control of the train to be had, so that a train may be more easily guided, and that there may be less danger of getting caught in fences, gates, and other obstructions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tongue which maybe readily shortened when it is desired to couple in a train, and which may be quickly extended to enable draft-animals to be hitched up.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a tongue embodying the invention, the parts being folded and ready for coupling. Fig. 2 is a plan View, the tongue being extended.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

1 designates a tongue composed of the section 2, rigidly secured to a cross-bar 3, and a section 4, hinged to the outer end of the section 2 and adapted to be folded alongside of the section 2, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, and to form an extension of the section 2, as shown in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings. Traction-trains are usually made up of an engine, a water-tank, a separator, and a swinging stacker, and when tongues are employed for coupling a long train which is hard to control is the result. The section 2 is provided at its front end with plates 5,secured to the upper and lower faces of the section and projecting forwardly, and provided at their outer ends with openings 6 to receive a coupling-pin and at opposite sides with perforations 7, adapted for the reception of pintles 8 and 9, the latter of which is removable to enable the section 4. to be folded and may be employed as a coupling pin. \Vhen the tongue is folded, the section 4 is secured in place by a snap-hook 10, which is arranged at the inner end of the section 2 and engages a staple ll of the section -l. The pintles 8 and 9 engage eyes 12 of plates 13, secured to opposite sides of the inner hinged end of the section 4. The whiffletrees are pivoted near the inner end of the section 2 in the usual manner.

It will readily be seen that the tongue is simple,inexpensive, strong, and durable; that it may be readily shortened for coupling and extended when desired to attach draft-animals, and that by it the couplings of tractionengines are shortened, thereby making the trains more easily controlled.

That I claim is- A folding tongue comprising the section 2, provided at its outer end with plates arranged on the upper and lower faces and extending forward and having a coupling-opening and perforations arranged at. the sides, the section 4:, provided at its inner end with plates havin g eyes, pintles arranged in said perforations and engaging said eyes, one of the pintles being removable, whereby the tongue may be folded, and means for securing the sections together when the tongue is folded, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I have hereto affixed my signature in.

presence of two Witnesses.

ALBERT S. GILKEY.

Witnesses:

O. W. HUNT, F. B. CUNNINGHAM. 

